When the senior national team of Nigeria takes on their Portuguese counterparts tomorrow in an international friendly, the host will be without their captain and global football icon Cristiano Ronaldo.

The game is meant to serve as a senthforth for the Portuguese team ahead of the start of the World Cup in Qatar, while Nigeria will use the game to fine tune preparations ahead of their competitive commitment next year.

Ahead of the game coach of the Portuguese team Fernando Santos revealed that Ronaldo won’t be a part of the team after missing today’s training due to a stomach bug. “He is in his room resting and recovering. He won’t practice and won’t be ready for tomorrow’s game either,” coach Santos said.

Benfica’s 19-year-old defender Antonio Silva could be in the starting team against Nigeria ahead of Manchester City’s Ruben Dias.

“He will play but I’m still deciding if it will be from the start,” Santos said.

“I have full confidence in the group. Not only Ronaldo but all the players are very focused.

“The players have given me absolute guarantee – not that I need it – of the total focus and ambition they have for this World Cup.”

Portugal are in World Cup Group H with Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea.

The senior national team of Nigeria yesterday had their first real training session ahead of tomorrow’s high profile friendly game against Portugal at the José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon.

Yesterday’s session had all but one of the invited player in Samuel Chukwueze present hence they were made to face up against each other in a test game under the supervision of head coach of the team Jose Peseiro.

Peseiro had the players play against themselves in a test game except Calvin Bassey, who is presently injured and still remain a huge doubt for the game unless he comes through today’s training unscathed.

Bassey was subbed off injured during Ajax’s 3-3 draw against Emmen in the Dutch Eredivisie. His team blew a three goal lead following his substitution just before the start of the second half due to a knock. He isn’t fully fit yet but has to be in camp on the orders of the coach.

Below is how they lined up against each other in yesterday’s training per reports exclusively gathered by OwnGoalNigeria.com editorial team.

Team A

Francis Uzoho
Tyronne Ebuehi
Bruno Onyemachi
Kevin Akpoguma
William Troost Ekong
Joe Aribo
Wilfred Ndidi
Moses Simon
Ademola Lookman
Terem Moffi

Team B

Maduka Okoye
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Chidozie Awaziem
Frank Onyeka
Ebube Duru
Emmanuel Dennis
Cyriel Dessers
Kevin Akpoguma
Adebayo Adeleye
Oghenekaro Etebo

The Nigeria Football Federation says the new Board led by Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau will not discriminate against selection into any of Nigeria’s National Teams of Nigerian players born in any part of the world.

NFF’s Director of Media and Communications, Ademola Olajire, said on Wednesday: “This clarification becomes necessary in view of an incorrect report that has been given wings by sections of the media, insinuating that the NFF President spoke of an impending wall against foreign-born or foreign-based players as far as selection of players into the National Teams is concerned.

“The NFF President spoke about something different from the message that is being conveyed. There is no way an administration that has promised inclusiveness and pledged to stick by merit and quality will go the route of discrimination.”

Olajire assured that selectors of National Teams would be given the free hand to pick players of Nigeria origin from any jurisdiction in the universe as long as they qualify to represent Nigeria and are good enough to make the country proud by ensuring podium appearance for our teams at major competitions.

“The NFF President is unhappy with the slant given the story and insists that no form of discrimination or exclusivity will be tolerated under his tenure. The best will always be in the nest to represent in the best interest of our great nation.

“Primordial sentiments will have no place in the new administration. Anyone who is good enough and is a bonafide Nigerian will be given a level field to fight for the shirt, proudly sing the anthem and play under the flag of our nation.”

The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro isn’t happy with Napoli star player Victor Osimhen over his decision not to honour the invitation sent to him for the friendly game against Portugal.

Nigeria will prosecute the game without the services of the Napoli man who withdrew out of the squad due to an injury picked up while on club duty last weekend in the Serie A. A game which he lasted the entire duration of the game and also scored.

While Peseiro isn’t contesting that he is injured, the coach wanted him to be in camp like Calvin Bassey who is also injured but is in camp as it is the last time the squad will be together this year.

He didn’t hide his unhappiness and in a chat with some of the backroom staff of the team while speaking on players who don’t regard games of the senior national team of Nigeria.

” He (Peseiro) didn’t mention Osimhen but we know he is referring to him when he said we don’t have a Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo in our team, so I can do without any player. That is the kind of straightforward person. He worked with Jose Mourinho so no surprises”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com in an exclusive chat from the team’s base in Portugal.

The senior national team of Nigeria will take on the Portuguese team tomorrow in a high profile international friendly game, which will serve as the final warm up game for the host before the World Cup begins.

Ahead of the game, the head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro called up 20 players with two new players in Bright Osayi-Samuel and Bruno Onyemaechi from Fenerbahce and Boavista respectively.

They are both in contention for their debut tomorrow and Osayi-Samuel says he will give his all to make the team better if he is given a chance to play. ” I want to give my best for the national team and show what I’m capable of and also make the team stronger”, he said to the official television channel of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Comfortable as a right winger, full back or right midfielder, he has so far played a total of 21 games this season with 11 coming in the league, 5 in the Europa League and a further 3 in the qualifiers. He played two games in the UEFA champions league qualifiers as well.

For the senior national team of Nigeria, he is facing competition for his spot with Empoli defender Tyronne Ebuehi for a starting spot in the absence of regular right back Ola Aina, who is injured.

The senior national team of Nigeria had their first training session yesterday ahead of Thursday’s friendly game against Portugal with coach Jose Peseiro directing the session.

As many as 15 players took part in the drills which were meant to help the players shake off the effect of travelling down for the game. None of the invited goakeepers of the team was available for the session.

That number has since swelled to 22 and a full training session will take place today involving all the players in camp. Peseiro will use the session to fine tune his tactics and also pick players for the game against his country of origin.

Yesterday, it was more of fitness drills which later  saw the players play a short game among themselves basically to have a feel of the ball and also get used to the playing surface ahead of today’s full session. All the players came through the session unhurt.

The major highlight of the session was Peseiro’s chat with Nottingham Forest forward Emmanuel Dennis, he spent time speaking with him before he was allowed to join the rest for the drills. As at the time of this report, details of what was discussed between them is still unknown.

The decision of Victor Osimhen to snub the Super Eagles friendly game against Portugal due to injury isn’t true according to sources close to the player, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Osimhen scored and played the entire duration of Napoli’s 3-2 win over Udinese and was expected in the camp of the Super yesterday when they officially started training for the game on Thursday.

Yesterday morning, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) explained that he has been replaced by Cremonense forward Cyriel Dessers due to an injury be picked up, which will likely be aggravated if he goes ahead to play in the friendly game.

That claim has been said to be false by a source who is close to the Napoli forward. He explained that Osimhen’s withdrawal from the game is due to Napoli’s refusal to hand him an extended break if he plays in the game.

” Injured? I don’t think so because he was on for the entire duration of the game over the weekend. What I know for sure is that he has this running battle with Napoli over handing him a week extra as he will be involved with the Nigerian team during the first week of the break”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

” That request wasn’t granted the last time I checked and he has to travel to Nigeria, spend time with his girlfriend who just gave birth and also head out on a small holiday before the league resumes. So skipping the game is the natural thing to do”, be rounded up saying.

Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen once again outlined his importance to the aspiration of Napoli to lift the Italian Serie A title with his tenth goal of the season as they laboured to a 3-2 win over hard fighting Udinese.

Osimhen showed his aerial ability yet again as he rose highest to meet a cross into the box with a firm header. The goal was his tenth in 12 matches this season.  Four goals less than his total tally of 14 from 27 games last season.

Further goals by Piotr Zieliński and Elif Elmas set Napoli on the way to a comfortable win but Udinese refused to give up and their persistence ensured a nervy finish with two goals in the final ten minutes of the game.

Napoli were able to hold on to their lead and claim yet another win their 11th consecutively to maintain their unbeaten run in the Serie A, and also head into the World Cup break as leaders of the league after 15 games this season.

Part of the plans of the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro is to convince players who have represented other nations but are still eligible for Nigeria to consider joining his rebuild of the team.

Peseiro will once again lead the Super Eagles of Nigeria in another international friendly game when they take on Portugal on the 17th of November. He has already called up 20 players for the game.

He revealed that he will after the game initiate talks with Atalanta defender Caleb Okoli, who is a full fledged youth international for Germany but still eligible for Nigeria as he hasn’t been capped at senior level by the Italians.

Peseiro’s action has made the agent of another defender who is eligible for Nigeria to make it clear that his client is only keen on representing Italy and not Nigeria. He is Stefano Antonelli, the agent of Udinese defender Destiny Udogie.

Udogie is on loan to the Italian side from English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and a flying start to the season has been slowed down by injury hence narrowing a potential call up to the Italian team.

His agent is however optimistic that he will one day get his chance as the prefers Italy even though he is eligible for Nigeria. “It’s inevitable that Udogie will end up with the Italian national team, but Roberto Mancini will decide how and when”, he said on his client’s international future.

The head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro says the Black Stars of Ghana didn’t deserve qualifying for the World Cup Ahead of Nigeria.

Appointed after the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the World Cup via the play off, the Portuguese coach, who is preparing for the friendly game against his country is still pained over the inability to qualify for the World Cup.

Ghana beat Nigeria to the World Cup 2022 spot on the away goal rule after a 1-1 draw in Abuja. Peseiro insist they are not a better team than Nigeria and only progressed via the away goal rule, which has been scrapped in Europe.

“At the moment Ghana are a very good national team but I think Nigeria, in my opinion, are better. And they showed it in both games of the play-off to qualify for the World Cup, but the result is the result: you can create more. , you can play better, but in the end it depends on whether you score or not and they scored an extra away goal”, he said.

”And this rule, which no longer exists in Europe, in Africa yes. Nigeria played better than Ghana there, at home not at a great level but in the end it went like this “.

Moving forward he said the team has already switch focus to winning the next Africa Cup of Nations, a promise he made when he took over the reins as the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria.

“When I signed with the Nigeria Football Federation, I was clear that I was in charge of the football movement. My goal is to win the next Africa Cup of Nations. I believe that Nigeria belongs to the best national teams in Africa, with many quality players playing between Italy, England, France, Germany all young and can all grow together winning and then improving”, he explained.

“This is our goal, in the coming years, we want to reach the level of the best national teams. I strongly believe, and I’m not crazy, to be here is to win the next Africa Cup of Nations”.